A new report shows a 22 percent increase in prescription drug use among New Jersey's 1.38 million school students in the past year. There was also a 14 percent increase in incidents involving alcohol.
But Garden State schools appear safer.
The number of reported incidents of violence dropped 5 percent from 2007-08 to 2008-09. Weapons incidents fell 15 percent and reported cases of bullying decreased by 4 percent.
Most of the reported cases of bullying involved high school freshmen and sophomores.
Assembly Education Committee Chairman Patrick Diegnan tells The Star-Ledger of Newark more need to be done to expand prescription drug awareness and marijuana awareness.
